Prospect
Mountain in Falls
Village, CT. presents a
challenging little hike that can
give you an unexpected workout.
But the effort is well worth it,
as there is a nice view of the
eastern valley and a good spot to
sit back and take it all in. As
you make your way up Prospect
you'll go through some quiet
forest sections with an open field
scene to break up the woodland
portion. If you've got the energy
to keep going beyond Prospect
Mountain, Rand's View is another
mile up the trail and offers even
more spectular views. During the
fall foliage season the ride to
Falls Village and hike to Prospect
Mountain is a great choice.

When you begin your hike you'll
start at Falls Village. Just as we
mentioned in the Rand's View hike,
you have two different starting
points to choose from...depending
upon how far you want to hike.
Both options follow the
Appalachian Trial. One option is
to park back at the hydroelectric
power station when you first pull
into the old Iron Works area. From
here you can follow the
Appalachian Trail (the A.T.
actually follows the paved road
for about a half mile through this
section) as it passes the
hydroelectric station, crosses
over the old iron bridge, and then
up along the banks of the
Housatonic River and waterfall
region. Near the top of the
waterfall, the Appalachian Trail
turns left and heads into the
woods and eventually to Rand's
View. The other option is to
start near the top of the
waterfall and head directly into
the woods.

When you enter into the woods, the
waterfall region quickly fades
away as you head up and down a
small hill. Soon you'll come upon
a nice open field section that is
teeming with life during the
summer months. Wild flowers, tall
grasses, berry bushes, birds, and
insects of all types are in full
force. Take a moment to enjoy this
quiet scene before you proceed on
into the woods again (and don't
forget to take a look back just
before entering the woods, as
there is a wonderful view south
from here).

When you enter the forest again,
the terrain changes considerably.
There's a dense cover of trees,
and the pathway takes on a more
rocky characteristic. It rises in
a subtle manner and keeps rising
until you reach the top of
Prospect Mountain. The hike up to
Prospect is more challenging than
a lot of people might think. The
terrain remains consistent and the
incline never really gets too
steep...but it just keeps going so
a good workout will be had. After
awhile you realize that you've
been climbing steadily. Along the
way notice how quiet it can get in
certain sections. Falls Village is
a fairly remote town by
Connecticut standards, and the
trail takes you even further away
to a region that seems far removed
from any type of influence from
people. The only company you'll
likely encounter is the
occassional hiker. (Who
knows...you might run into Smilin'
Mike, Opie, Hikes For Views or
Rembrandt...several of the A.T.
hikers I've met on Connecticut
trails who have hiked the entire
2,000+ mile trail!) The squirrels
and chipmunks will also keep you
company as you hike through the
woodland section; most will
scatter in a loud raucous manner
as you approach...acting as if
you're the first human being
they've ever seen. But it's just a
good way to warn the neighbors of
potential danger approaching!

When you reach the peak of
Prospect Mountain, you'll be glad
the trek is over. Though not grand
or spectacular, the views are
really nice and the smooth rocky
surface makes for a great viewing
platform. You can relax for
awhile, have a snack, and rest
before heading back down. If
you're feeling okay, Rand's View
is an option from here. It would
add about two miles roundtrip but
the terrain is flat for the most
part and rewards you with a
spectacular view of open space and
rolling mountains. Some say if
you're going to hike Prospect
Mountain for the views then you
have to head over to Rand's View
as you're likely to be more
impressed there. But gauge how you
are feeling and if you're tired or
not really motivated, you can come
back another day and tackle Rand's
View by accessing the Appalachian
Trail off Route 44 in Salisbury,
CT.

Directions: Get
on Route 7 and head towards Falls
Village (northwestern region of
Connecticut). At the intersection
of Route 7 and Route 126 in Falls
Village, go west on Rt. 126
following the signs for Falls
Village.
A short distance later you'll come
upon the center of town.
An old railroad car diner will be
easily seen.
Just to the right of the diner
take the small road (Water St.) as
it dips down under the railroad
bridge.
A few hundred yards later the
hydro-electric power station will
be clearly visible on your left.
A nice parking area greets you
with a decent information board.
This is also where you can park
for the wheel-chair friendly trail
loop that the local community
built for those who have limited
access to hiking trails.
To get to the waterfall section go
past the power station and over
the old iron bridge (one-lane road
over the bridge. If another car is
already on the other side when you
get to the bridge, give them the
right of way).
Just over the bridge take the
first right (Housatonic River Rd.)
Don't go straight onto Falls
Mountain Rd. A short distance
later you'll see a "scenic
overview" sign. You can park here
and walk a few feet up to the
Appalachian Trail markers or park
up at the very top in the gated
parking lot which closes at
sunset. If you happen to be hiking
with small children don't let them
run up ahead to the waterfalls
alone. There are no barriers and
the water can rush through here
with a lot of power.